Sun Inn, Penrith

This popular spot in the heart of Pooley Bridge offers a family- and dog-friendly experience, with a slightly corporate feeling bar to the rear and a huge beer garden out the back. The main bar space is a compact room with tongue-and-groove panelling on the counter and a modern, somewhat sparse bar back. Seating is limited to a few standard tables and chairs, arranged around a fireplace and dartboard. A corridor to the side leads off to the toilets and appears to connect with further rooms, which were not possible to explore on this visit, which given that it was a roasting hot day in the middle of the summer holiday period, makes me wonder if they ever get any use. Outside is where the pub really excels, with a patio to the side and a grassy garden at the rear, which boasts an impressively equipped kids' play area and plenty of tables. There’s ample parking too, and a menu that’s geared towards classic pub fare at sensible prices. Beer-wise, there was Martsons Pedigree, Courage Directors and Thwaites Wainwright on cask, with one handpull unclipped. Service was friendly and brisk, and the crowd a mix of locals and tourists enjoying the warm spring day. As more and more people flocked to the pub, a queue for the bar began to form, eventually snaking its way out of the door, making it very hard for waiting staff to bring food out to the garden, which is really stupid when everyone in the queue could’ve easily have been accommodated by lining the bar instead. We dived in here out of convenience rather than any other consideration, as we just wanted a quick drink in the sun and their garden looked perfect. I thought it was a modest pub with a fine garden, so fine on a hot day but maybe an entirely different prospect in the middle of winter. Date of visit: 10th April 2025

Three pubs in Pooley Bridge - all in very close proximity. Makes a fine place to stop for the evening. This is collection of terraced cottages knocked together. provides for a slightly bewildering internal experience - with many rooms. Front bar, rear bar, side restaurant. Large external garden with bench seating and kids play area. Accommodation - but run separately to the pub. This means you cannot but food drinks on your room. Not much of an issue in this day of card payment. Drinks - Courage Directors sampled for a first time (incredibly) and in fine condition. Food - home cooked. Good portions. Staff - friendly. Like the others in the village, they close when they want. So a bit surprised to find myself having to let my self in at 9pm on a Saturday night - with a few of the staff having a last drink.

Marston's (formerly Jenning's) pub in the village of Pooley Bridge. You enter into a hotel reception area, where there is a door to the left into one room, or a door directly in front of you which leads to the public bar with a TV screen for live sports. I arrived at opening time on a Friday, where the landlord was busy trying to open the pub and train a new barmaid, apparently having been up most of the night fighting a fire in an outbuilding! Luckily, I was the only customer and eventually departed the pub leaving it void of customers. Jenning's Cumberland Ale is the regular beer here. In addition, they had Jenning's Night Vision, Thwaite's Wainwright & Courage Directors. Nothing really appealed to me. So I ordered a soft drink, as I was driving anyway. Nice location, but unlike the last review, the pub was suffering from a lack of atmosphere (and customers).